bioMérieux Adds Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Screening Tool to its Arsenal

bioMérieux – a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics – today announced the U.S. launch of chromIDä MRSA, a simple and cost-effective solution in the struggle against MRSA. The product recently received FDA 510(k) clearance for the detection of MRSA, one of the most pervasive sources for high-morbidity healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in U.S. hospitals.¹ The current national debate on escalating healthcare costs includes screening for multi-drug resistant bacteria, such as MRSA. chromID MRSA is perfectly adapted for general screening processes in healthcare institutions as it economically provides unambiguous results with a simple protocol. The presence of MRSA is visually identified by green colored colonies on chromID MRSA chromogenic media (biomerieux-usa.com/chromid) after a 24-hour incubation period.

“According to CDC data, invasive MRSA infections occur in approximately 94,000 people annually and cause as many as 9,000 deaths per year,” said Herb Steward, general manager and executive vice president, bioMérieux North America. “Helping healthcare facilities to cost-effectively detect antibiotic-resistant strains with improved accuracy can play a critical role in the bigger picture of decreasing MRSA-related nosocomial infections,” said Steward.

As a leader in Microbiology, it is bioMérieux's objective to provide customers with the most flexible and complete solution to effectively manage MRSA, spanning manual and automated techniques, from culture-based methods to molecular biology. A more comprehensive approach to containing MRSA needs to be taken, involving critical functions such as resistance detection, organism strain typing for outbreak investigations, hygiene, and antibiotic stewardship programs.

“We applaud organizations like bioMérieux for playing a key role on World MRSA Day and for bringing cost-effective solutions to our healthcare facilities,” said Jeanine Thomas, MRSA survivor and founder of the MRSA Survivors Network. Thomas recently hosted the Inaugural World MRSA Day with a remembrance ceremony for those who have lost their lives or suffered from this preventable disease. Thomas added, “MRSA survivors, their families, and all those touched by this disease finally had their day and their voices heard.”

A recent study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases examined the hospital and societal costs of antimicrobial-resistant infections (ARIs) in a Chicago teaching hospital. Nearly half (43%) of the patients with antibiotic-resistant infections in the study had an infection due to MRSA.² The paper also discussed the need for a more comprehensive evaluation of the cost of resistance and the potential economic benefits of prevention programs like antibiotic stewardship.

chromID MRSA simplifies the detection of MRSA,enabling more economical implementation of adapted prevention measures. chromID MRSA agar is a selective and differential chromogenic medium for the qualitative detection of nasal colonization of methicillin-resistant S. aureus. This tool aids in the prevention and control of MRSA infections in healthcare settings. bioMérieux’s chromID MRSA has been widely adopted throughout Europe over the past few years, leading to more than two dozen publications in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences.

Identifying resistance and helping clinicians get clear actionable information so they can begin effective antibiotic therapy as early as possible is an integral part of bioMérieux’s recently launched S.M.A.R.T. Campaign (biomerieux-usa.com/smart). The Solutions to Manage the Antimicrobial Resistance Threat (S.M.A.R.T.) initiative promises to create more educational resources for the lab and to provide healthcare professionals with relevant tools to identify, monitor, prevent, and track resistance.

¹ Marchaim D. et al. The burden of methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus infections on patients hospitalized in the US. 46th ICAAC meeting, San Francisco (USA), September 28, 2006 Abstract K-791
² Roberts R. et al. Hospital and Societal Costs of Antimicrobial-Resistant Infections in a Chicago Teaching Hospital: Implications for Antibiotic Stewardship. CID 2009:49 (15 October)

About MRSA Survivors Network

MRSA Survivors Network is a nonprofit organization comprised of volunteers dedicated to raising awareness for MRSA, campaigning for change, and giving vital support to those who have been afflicted with MRSA or lost loved ones.

MRSA Survivors Network was founded in 2003 by Jeanine Thomas, a survivor of MRSA, sepsis osteomylitis, and C. difficile. She became critically ill and nearly died from ankle surgery. Because of her experience, she has dedicated herself to raise awareness, campaign for new laws, and give support to those whose lives have been affected by MRSA.

Jeanine Thomas was the first patient advocate in the U.S. to raise alarm about MRSA and healthcare-acquired infections. MRSA Survivors Network has initiated groundbreaking legislation in the state of Illinois and works with other advocates in other states and on a federal level. MRSA Survivors Network partners with advocates in the UK and other countries to formulate global alliances to raise awareness for MRSA and antimicrobial resistance.

About bioMérieux

Advancing Diagnostics to Improve Public Health

A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for 45 years, bioMérieux is present in more than 150 countries through 39 subsidiaries and a large network of distributors. In 2008, revenues reached €1.111 billion with 84% of sales outside of France.

bioMérieux provides diagnostic solutions (reagents, instruments, software) which determine the source of disease and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety. Its products are used for diagnosing infectious diseases and providing high medical value results for cancer screening and monitoring and cardiovascular emergencies. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in agri-food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic products. bioMérieux is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris market (Code: BIM – Code ISIN: FR0010096479). Other information can be found at www.biomerieux-usa.com.

bioMérieux
Allan Mohess
Tel: + 1 919 620-2937
allan.mohess@na.biomerieux.com

Fleishman-Hillard
Kimberly Mays
Tel: + 1 216 928-3459
kimberly.mays@fleishman.com